


Harlot's Blush

by meowgicmage (queerfindings), queerfindings



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age II
Genre: Anders is a smart ass, Fenris is Bad at Feelings, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-01
Updated: 2016-07-01
Packaged: 2018-07-19 08:52:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7354210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerfindings/pseuds/meowgicmage, https://archiveofourown.org/users/queerfindings/pseuds/queerfindings
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fenris agrees to accompany Anders on an herb gathering expedition, discovers there are more than two emotions. Is forced to face said emotions by a small child.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Harlot's Blush

He was still getting used to how green everything was. Tall grass swished around stunted trees, dunes washed in from the sea where the road turned towards the Wounded Coast. Here and there flowers dotted the hillsides, and it was they that brought the small party out on such a fine day. Hawke was busy. That was the excuse Anders had given as he stood on the doorstep that morning; Fenris half asleep, half dressed, half squinting into the morning light. The healer needed a guard, as he was bringing an accomplice. 

Fenris startled as his reverie was broken by a grimy hand on his arm. The child was small, a wee elf girl with round blue eyes and a handful of half mashed flowers. 

“For…me?” He gave her a puzzled look when she shook her head. 

“No! Give them to Serrah Healer. You have to!” She gave him an imperious look and pushed at him. At her insistence he got to his feet, and she took his hand to fairly drag him towards Anders. 

“Mage.” Honey brown eyes met his, then dropped to the offering in his hands. Fenris cleared his throat. “These are for you. You should know I am here under duress.” The elf girl squealed with laughter right along with Anders as he took them from the surly warrior. 

“Oh Fenris, I never knew!”

“Shut up.”

“You’re so big and strong, and oh so thoughtful,” Anders crooned, batting his eyes. Damn his eyes to the Maker, Fenris groused to himself, no one had rights to lashes like that. Nor freckles, though he was turning pink around the edges from being in the sun so long. “You know, Merrill and I have a bet going, if you smiled do you think your face would crack…or would the void just swallow you whole?” 

“Serrah Healer would you like to make Fenris smile?” The elf girl asked, and it was Anders’ turn to blush. Fenris chuckled over his stuttering and found a place in the shade of a tree to sit once more. She was easily distracted, his mage as well, Fenris mused as he settled in. 

His mage?

Bottle green eyes popped open again. Anders sat a few feet away, humming tunelessly as he arranged the gathered herbs into bundles and tied them with deft fingers. Given proper care those hands could be lovely, smooth and graceful. But three of the fingers had been broken and set crookedly, calluses lined the palms, and they were never clean. Still the way he moved so quickly was an endless fascination. Anders did so little that did not have purpose. Fenris half wondered if it was the demon that drove him so, or the man’s own ambition. Everyone was entitled to run from their past in their own way, whether it was hard labor, alcohol, a new companion to warm their sheets. Warm skin, sun-kissed, dotted with as many freckles as there were stars, golden hair the perfect length to wrap around his fingers-

“Have I grown horns?” He jumped for the second time that day, caught staring at the mage. 

“It might improve your looks, people could see the abomination from the outside.” Anders scowled, and Fenris bit his cheek. 

“Fenris, love, my knight in prickly armor, it’s a grand day. Can’t you just let me have it?” 

“You know pet names irk me.” 

“Oh? I rather thought that was our thing. You know, you call me abomination, I call you kitten-whiskers. All in fun right?” 

“If you call me that-”

“Yes I know,” Anders waved him off with a sigh. “The heart ripping and such. I think I’m ready to go. Shall we? Jahanah.” Silence, aside from the cry of a stray gull. A breeze swished through the tall grass around them, swirling the scent of salt water…and smoke. Anders whipped his staff around and Fenris drew his sword as they followed the trail of crushed grass towards the smell of fire. “Jahanah!” 

In the bloody aftermath of the fight, Fenris finally found the girl beneath a broken crate. She was sobbing and smeared in dirt, but otherwise appeared unharmed as she crawled right into his arms. It was uncomfortable having anyone this close, especially when wandering fingers found the line of one lyrium tattoo, but he bore it as the trembling left her small body. She clutched him with all four limbs, snuffling quietly against his neck. Anders too was quiet as they made their way back towards the road. Furious blue no longer split his skin, he was just Anders now. His throat sounded hoarse as he mumbled to himself. A conference between himself and the demon that rode him. Fenris chose to be silent on the way home. He was glad to see the gates of Kirkwall, and more so when they arrived in Darktown. Jahanah’s mother waited at the clinic, chatting with one of the women there. Her smile faded to worry as she took in their appearance. Anders was still unfocused. Fenris stepped forward. 

“There was an unfortunate incident with a group of slavers. They will not bother us again, but I think perhaps she might sit out the next expedition,” he gave a succinct explanation as he handed the girl over. Fresh tears emerged from both parties, and he stood uncomfortably while the girl’s sobbing mother thanked and blessed him. As long as he had memory of attention had meant negative things, to the point that praise made him squirm, and his stomach sink. They finally departed, and he turned to see Anders looking up. For a moment he still looked as he had on the coast- sad, and lost...miles away from the body he shared. 

“Mage?” Fenris inquired in a soft voice. 

“Well that was an adventure. Who shall we rescue next, kittens or virgins?” Anders blinked, and smirked.

“Mage,” Fenris repeated with more of a growl as he shook his head. Privately he was relieved. It took the man longer to come up after each episode like this. Their days were numbered until the Anders they knew never resurfaced. 

“You’re back to looking serious,” Anders commented. For a moment it hung between them, the silence they both understood, though neither wanted to broach the subject. “Come on, I have a potion for you, you’re bleeding again. Come to think of it, it’s an off day when you’re not trying to bleed out in my arms.”

“Would you like to join me?” Fenris growled even as he noticed the small bundle of flowers tucked in Anders’ belt.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this prompt sitting in my writing tag for an age and a half on tumblr.


End file.
